User:Evagibeau/Christine Sun Kim

History Christine Sun Kim, (who goes by CK) is a deaf-korean sound artist who was born in California and raised in New York. Her work is based in, as stated by the artist, unlearning sound etiquette. She attended Bard College in New York for her Bachelors of Fine Arts and attended School of Visual Arts located in Manhattan, NY for her Masters of Fine Arts. She was a recipient of the Wynn Newhouse award for her sound based performance art.

Practice Starting as a visual artist, CK become more and more interested in reclaiming the concept of sound around 2008 after a residency in Berlin. Her approach to sound is physical and visual and she describes sound as a ghost that she can feel as a presence but not hear. She composes installations within spaces, such as rooms and galleries and creates a physical sound scape (referenced as seismic calligraphy by the artist). She moves through the landscape utilizing pre placed tools, such as balloons and cups of ink, and incorporates microphones to create sounds. This is her process of "Unlearning Sound Etiquette", by making noise that could be distracting, too loud or unpleasant.

Selected Works

Speaker Drawings, 2012, Haverford College, PA- Using recording of herself yelling that was created as part of the presentation and other methods such as dropping or hitting a microphone, CK creates paintings by placing brushes with ink on top of circular wooden panels that are placed on top of speakers. The physical sound waves cause the brushes to jump and move, creating a sporadic and minimalist painting, bringing CKs work into a physical spectrum.

Face Time Signature, 2012, Berlin, Germany- Stringing piano wire across a gallery, CK creates a network of wires with microphones attached to them. Allowing the audience to site wherever they want allows for the inclusion of the audience, as people are encouraged to touch the wires or put their hands near them. Voice and sound recordings are sent to the microphone which then carries through the wires, causing a great hum and physical reverberation throughout the space.

Face Opera ii, 2013, NYC- Collaborating with eight other deaf people, CK created an opera, based on the use of the face that is heavily emphasized within American Sign Language. With the actors placing their hands in their pockets, CK has them act out different emotions while she shows the conductor what word to enact via iPad.